con / sen
With and Without: Con and Sen
Con means "with" and sen means "without". They are opposites and are used in the same places.
How It Works
1. Con: with
- Company: Vou con Xoán (I am going with Xoán).
- What goes with something: café con leite, un cuarto con vistas ao mar (a room with a sea view).
- How you do something: con coidado (carefully), con axuda (with help).
Before an article, con joins it: co, coa, cos, coas. With "me", "you" and "us", it becomes comigo, contigo, connosco.
2. Sen: without
- Something missing: auga sen gas (still water), café sen azucre.
- An action that does not happen: Marchou sen dicir nada (He left without saying anything). Use the infinitive, never the -ndo form.
Sen never joins the article: sen o almorzo, sen a chaqueta. With pronouns, use the forms from pronouns after prepositions: sen min, sen ti.
3. Pronunciation
The e in the preposition sen is closed, like the e in "they". The same spelling with an open e is a different word that means "temple" (the side of the head).
Later you will meet sen que for "without someone doing something".
Examples (6)
- Un café con leite, por favor.
A coffee with milk, please.
Word by Word: A coffee with milk, please.
- Vou con Xoán ao cine.
I'm going to the cinema with Xoán.
Word by Word: I-go with Xoán to-the cinema.
- Quero auga sen gas.
I'd like still water.
Word by Word: I-want water without gas.
- Tomo o té sen azucre.
I take my tea without sugar.
Word by Word: I-take the tea without sugar.
- Marchou sen dicir nada.
He left without saying anything.
Word by Word: He-left without to-say nothing.
After sen, an action goes in the infinitive.
- Non podo vivir sen ti.
I can't live without you.
Word by Word: Not I-can to-live without you.
Common Mistakes
Saying con min instead of comigo.
Vas con min?Vas comigo?Con + min becomes one word: comigo. Likewise contigo and connosco.
Using the -ndo form after sen.
Marchou sen dicindo nada.Marchou sen dicir nada.After sen, use the infinitive: sen dicir, sen pensar.
How It Connects
Related Patterns
- con + o = coContractions of Con with the Article
Con joins a following article: co, coa, cos, coas.
Level 1 - comigo / contigo / connoscoComigo, Contigo and Connosco
Con joins the pronouns for me, you and us.
Level 2 - min / ti After PrepositionsPronouns After Prepositions
Sen and other prepositions take min and ti: sen min, sen ti.
Level 2 - dun / nun / cunContractions with Un and Unha
Con also contracts with the indefinite article: cun, cunha.
Level 2 - sen que + SubjunctiveWithout: Sen Que
Extends sen to whole clauses: sen que ninguén o saiba.
Level 4
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice con / sen in Bubblegum
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